About 80 percent of all chemical compounds on earth contain carbon. why is carbon found in so many compounds?

Carbon is the most used and important atom among all that exist.

Explanation:

Carbon atom is special because it can form total of four chemical bonds with other atoms. Also carbon atom has very perfect size that is very right to fit comfortably as being the parts or base of very large molecules. Hydrocarbons are the base of every fuel used today and even carbon dioxide includes carbon within which our life is dependent.